In a message dated 12/23/2003 6:50:56 AM Eastern Standard Time,
classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
> Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 19:38:34 -0700
> From: Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net>
> To: CR List <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: Re: [CR]Mario Masi ??????
> Message: 17
>
> nick zatezalo wrote:
> >=20
> >Is this in fact a Mario made GC?
> >=20
> >If so...how can one tell conclusively?
> >=20
> >=
> http://ebay.com/
> 345098
>
> >From the auction:
> "The M56 is stamped a bit above the top of the 'M'. I found in my
> research that the very early frames were stamped this way with the M
> indicating Milano as place of origin and the 56 indicating the frame
> size."=20
> and
> "Inside the steering forks under the tube, there is a 3-inch elongated
> raised triangle with a spade-shaped cut-out similar to those on the =
> ends
> of the other tubes. I understand that this spade or rounded triangle =
> is
> the logo associated with Confente while he was still making frames in =
> Italy."
>
> Mario Confente lived in Verona and his shop (part of his parents home)
> was there. There are Italian Masi that are stamped "V" and the frame
> size in centimeters, such as "V 55.5" and the assumption is that the V
> stands for Verona, therefore a Mario built Masi would not have a "M"
> stamped on the bottom bracket. =20
>
> Also, there are no spades cut out of any part of a Masi that I have =
> ever
> seen. And no, a "rounded triangle" is not a spade.
>
> In my opinion, not built by Mario Confente, if that makes any
> difference. And also in my opinion, Mario Confente would probably not
> have been regarded as the best framebuilder in Italy and maybe not =
> even
> the best among the builders that Faliero Masi contracted to build =
> frames
> for Masi.
>
> Anyone else with opinions?
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> South Pasadena, Southern California
>
A couple of months ago I was inquiring about my Italian Masi (thank you again Matteo!), and a well known, vintage bike educated collector emailed me about the "V"s on these frames representing that they were built at the Vigorelli. His information came directly from a conversation with Alberto Masi himself, while chatting in person, in recent years. I'm curious of what discussion has there been regarding this piece of information, and what the consensus of opinion might be (or have been) about it.
Ciao, Mark Agree (hiding from impending snow in...) Southfield MI